The next example of ‘skeno’ occurs 5 chapters later. Like the verse we have just been looking at, it comes shortly after a great hymn of praise to God for his “salvation uccinct and direct statement of this truth is found on the lips of Jesus hiimself:r lives and ask him into our 'vis” (7.10 and 12.10), this time celebrating the victory in the ‘war in heaven’ achieved by Michael and his angels, as a result of which Satan and all his angels are thrown out of heaven. This is, indeed, good news for those living in heaven, so that later in this same hymn we read “rejoice, you heavens, and those who dwell (‘skeno’) in them”; but, in view of the previous verse, and with acknowledgements to NIV, we might translate this “rejoice, you heavens, and all you saints over whom God spreads his tabernacle” (v.12). But if the downfall (literally) of Satan is good news for those living in heaven, it is very bad news for those still living on earth: the same verse continues: “Woe to the earth and the sea, because the Devil (‘diabolos’) has come down to you with great wrath”. The stark dichotomy of this verse is an uncomfortable reminder, after so many references to the graciousness of God in this study, of the essential divisiveness of the gospel. Politicians may find it expedient to have a ‘big tent’ in which they ‘graciously’ invite even their opponents to join them ‘for the greater good’. But the greatest good is God, and his ‘big tent’, though very big indeed, has no room for his enemies. ‘Inclusiveness’ is one of the great idols of our age; the heavenly host is gloriously inclusive, as we have seen (Rev 7.9), “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, and tribe, and people, and tongue” – but NOT from every creed: those who deny Christ are not included. Verse 12 contains the first mention of ‘wrath’ in Revelation; there are 9 others, but they all refer to God’s righteous anger against a sinful and rebellious world, while here we are simply, if terrifyingly, confronted by the frustrated fury of a defeated Devil.
Saturday, 10 December 2011
SKENE 25 (Rev 12.12)
The next example of ‘skeno’ occurs 5 chapters later. Like the verse we have just been looking at, it comes shortly after a great hymn of praise to God for his “salvation uccinct and direct statement of this truth is found on the lips of Jesus hiimself:r lives and ask him into our 'vis” (7.10 and 12.10), this time celebrating the victory in the ‘war in heaven’ achieved by Michael and his angels, as a result of which Satan and all his angels are thrown out of heaven. This is, indeed, good news for those living in heaven, so that later in this same hymn we read “rejoice, you heavens, and those who dwell (‘skeno’) in them”; but, in view of the previous verse, and with acknowledgements to NIV, we might translate this “rejoice, you heavens, and all you saints over whom God spreads his tabernacle” (v.12). But if the downfall (literally) of Satan is good news for those living in heaven, it is very bad news for those still living on earth: the same verse continues: “Woe to the earth and the sea, because the Devil (‘diabolos’) has come down to you with great wrath”. The stark dichotomy of this verse is an uncomfortable reminder, after so many references to the graciousness of God in this study, of the essential divisiveness of the gospel. Politicians may find it expedient to have a ‘big tent’ in which they ‘graciously’ invite even their opponents to join them ‘for the greater good’. But the greatest good is God, and his ‘big tent’, though very big indeed, has no room for his enemies. ‘Inclusiveness’ is one of the great idols of our age; the heavenly host is gloriously inclusive, as we have seen (Rev 7.9), “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, and tribe, and people, and tongue” – but NOT from every creed: those who deny Christ are not included. Verse 12 contains the first mention of ‘wrath’ in Revelation; there are 9 others, but they all refer to God’s righteous anger against a sinful and rebellious world, while here we are simply, if terrifyingly, confronted by the frustrated fury of a defeated Devil.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment